Electrical devices and particularly electrical connectors are known in the art. Electrical connectors are commonly provided for connecting an electrical cord or cable to a plug or receptacle.
Many of the known electrical connectors are provided with a strain relief mechanism to prevent the cord from separating from the electrical plug or receptacle and reducing the incidence of electrical shock. The strain relief mechanisms typically do not provide adequate water resistance for wet locations.
One form of strain relief connection uses a deformable bushing that is captured between two tapered surfaces. Other devices capture a bushing between a tapered wall and a straight wall. A nut or cap is typically threaded onto the device to apply an axial compression to the bushing to grip the cord and form a seal. This type of compression does not always form an adequate amount of strain relief to couple the cord to the connector, or under tightening of the member, which can result in inadequate amount of strain relief.
One prior device has a cord grip with a deformable bushing and grip member. The grip member is a circular member to provide a gripping edge for the cord insulation. This type of device has the disadvantage of enabling over tightening of the member which can damage the cord or deform the connector.
Other prior devices include a body and a nut threaded onto the end of the body. A conical shaped bushing is inserted into the conical bore of the body. A gripping member having a plurality of fingers is positioned around the cord and next to the bushing. The nut is tightened onto the body to compress the bushing and deform the fingers of the gripping member into contact with the cord. The tightening the nut causes the deformable fingers to grip the outer surface of the cord. One example of this type of device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,243 to Castaldo.
Another example of a cord grip assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,761 to Harris. The device includes a body with a passage for the cord and nut threaded onto the body. A pair of wedge-shaped members is inserted between the opening in the body and the cord. The nut is tightened to force the wedge-shaped members into contact with the cord to grip the cord.
Another example of a cord grip for an electrical device having a bushing inserted into a conical bore of a housing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,512 to Remke. A nut is tightened onto the housing to compress and wedge the bushing against the cord.
Other prior devices having various coupling designs for coupling two connectors together are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,134,894 to Murphy, 7,097,500 to Montena, 6,558,180 to Nishimotu, 5,857,865 to Shimirak, and 4,795,380 to Newman.
While the prior devices have generally preformed their intended purpose, there is a continuing need in the industry for improved assemblies for connecting an electrical cord to an electrical connector.